A dog bite is a bite inflicted upon a person, a group of persons or another animal by a dog. One or more successive bites is often considered a dog attack. The majority of dog bites do not result in injury, disfigurement, infection or permanent disability. Another type of dog bite is the 'soft bite' displayed by well-trained dogs, puppies and in non-aggressive play. Situations in which dog bites occur include dog fighting, mistreatment, trained dogs acting as guard or military animals, provoked or unprovoked.
There is considerable debate on whether or not certain breeds of dogs are inherently more prone to commit attacks causing serious injury (i.e., so driven by instinct and breeding that, under certain circumstances, they are exceedingly likely to attempt or commit dangerous attacks). Regardless of the breed of the dog, it is recognized that the risk of dangerous dog attacks can be greatly increased by human actions (such as neglect or fight training) or inactions (as carelessness in confinement and control).
Significant dog bites affect tens of millions of people globally each year. It is estimated that two percent of the US population, from 4.5â€"4.7 million people, are bitten by dogs each year. Most bites occur in children. In the 1980s and 1990s the US averaged 17 fatalities per year, while in the 2000s this has increased to 26. 77% of dog bites are from the pet of family or friends, and 50% of attacks occur on the dog owner's property. Animal bites, most of which are from dogs, are the reason for 1% of visits to an emergency department in the United States.
Health effects
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Rabies results in the death of approximately 55,000 people a year, with most of the causes due to dog bites. Capnocytophaga canimorsus, MRSA, tetanus, and Pasteurella can be transmitted from a dog to someone bitten by the dog. Bergeyella zoohelcum is an emerging infection transmitted through dog bites. Infection with B. zoohelcum from dog bites can lead to bacteremia.
Causes
Even without provocation, some dogs will bite.
Breeds
All dog breeds can inflict a bite. Breed is not an accurate predictor of whether or not a dog will bite. In the US pit bull-type and Rottweilers most frequently are identified breeds in cases of severe bites. This may be due to their size. These breeds are more frequently owned by people involved in crime.
From 2000 to 2009, media accounts were compared with reports available from animal control officials. It was determined that in a sample of 256 dog bite-related fatalities, breed could only be validly determined in 45 cases, and the attacks in these 45 cases were dispersed among 20 different breeds and 2 known mixes. For a further set of 401 dogs in media accounts of dog bite-related fatalities, breed determination differed between different media accounts of the same attack 31% of the time, factoring in animal control accounts produced disagreement on breed for 40% of attacks.
A 2000 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports of 327 people killed by dogs "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were involved in 76 cases. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed deaths was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities. The American Veterinary Medical Association released a statement that this study "cannot be used to infer any breed specific risk for dog bite fatalities". These figures reporting certain breeds as being more prone to biting has found those to be the breeds in the greatest population where the dog bites are reported.
A 2015 study in Ireland found that dog bite injuries greatly increased since the introduction of legislation targeting specific dog breeds. This study also suggested that targeting dog breeds may actually contribute to increases in dog-bite hospitalisations through the reinforcing of incorrect stereotypes of risk being determined by breed. The study reported that as a result of targeting dog breeds, stereotypes of the dangerousness of certain breeds and assuming the safety of others simply due to their breed may result in people incorrectly interacting with dogs from both categories.
Prevention
Legislative bodies have addressed concerns about dog bites that include licensing laws, statutes outlawing organized dogfights, and leash laws. Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), has been enacted in some areas limiting the ownership and activities of dogs perceived to be more likely to bite and attack. This breed specific regulations are usually directed toward those animals perceived to be Rottweilers, American Staffordshire Bull Terriers ("Pit Bulls"), Chow Chows, German Shepherd Dogs, and Doberman Pinschers, "breeds traditionally known as 'dangerous,' or those that have demonstrated particular propensities for aggression and violent behavior". There is no evidence that breed-specific laws make communities safer for people or companion animals.
Other measures in preventing dog bites are signage ("Beware of Dog") and locked dog enclosures. Dog owners often oppose protective regulations in the courts claiming either that the regulations will not prevent bites and attacks and/or their rights as dog owners are being infringed.
A dog's thick fur protects it to some degree from the bite of another dog.
Human activities may increase the risk of a dog bite as does age, height, and movement. The CDC and the American Veterinary Medical Association have published recommendations which encourage those that are around dogs to:
- not approach an unfamiliar dog.
- not run from a dog.
- Remain motionless when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
- Curl into a ball, while protecting your head and ears if knocked over.
- not panic or make loud noises.
- Report dogs that are behaving strangely.
- Do not disturb a dog that is caring for puppies.
- not pet a strange dog
- not encourage your dog to play aggressively.
- not allow small children to play with a dog unsupervised.
- Avoid the family dog if it is ill
- Avoid waking the dog, call the dog by name
- Avoid retrieving objects from the dog's mouth
- Avoid face-to-face interaction with the dog
- not disturb the dog while the animal is eating.
- reduce the dog's interaction with children
- not attempt to break up a dog fight.
Part of the effort to reduce the prevalence of dog bite injuries has involved the passage of breed-specific laws, intended to reduce the ownership of dog breeds that are considered more likely to bite or to cause serious injury in the event of a bite. Controversy exists on whether or not certain breeds of dogs are more prone to bite than others. Although some research suggests that breed-specific legislation is not completely effective in preventing dog bites, efforts to establish regulations limiting dogs that bite is ongoing. The rights of animals is often in question. The targeting of specific dog breed creates stereotypes. This influences the perceived risk of sustaining a bite from a dog of a particular breed.
Dog behavior
In isolation, predatory behaviors are rarely the cause of an attack on a human. Predatory aggression is more commonly involved as a contributing factor for example in attacks by multiple dogs; a "pack kill instinct" may arise if multiple dogs are involved in an attack.
Treatment
The risk of a serious infection can be reduced by cleaning the wound and getting appropriate health care treatment.
Local animal control agencies or police are sometimes able to capture the animal and determine whether or not it is infected with rabies. This is important if the dog appears sick or is acting strangely.
Epidemiology
Significant dog bites affect tens of millions of people globally each year. It is estimated that 1.5 - 2 percent of the US population, from 4.5â€"4.7 million people, are bitten by dogs yearly. Pit bulls bit and killed 21 people during the 1980s. Most bites occur in children. In the 1980s and 1990s the US averaged 17 fatalities per year, while in the 2000s this has increased to 26. 77% of dog bites are from the pet of family or friends, and 50% of attacks occur on the dog owner's property. Animal bites, most of which are from dogs, are the reason for 1% of visits to an emergency department in the United States. Young children are sustain bites by familiar or family dogs during normal activities. Some people, like the very young or the very old are more susceptible to being bitten by a dog.
More serious injuries from dogs are often described in the media. In 2010, more people were killed by dogs (34) than were hit by lightning (29). Emergency room visits and treatment by those bitten number in the thousands.
In a study of 1616 dog attacks treated by the emergency room staff at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, 58% of all pediatric patients bitten by dogs needed treatment for lacerations and 5.5% of all those treated required an operation to make repairs. Very young children (infants) were more than six times more likely to bitten by a family pet and over six times more likely to sustain injuries in their neck and head. Children aged five and younger needed treatment and repair 62% of the time. Those dogs identified as Pit bulls were implicated in 50% of the bites needing surgical treatment of the child. Dogs identified as pit bulls were more likely to make multiple bites in different body areas of the children.
Austria
About 5,900 Austrians are treated annually after being bitten by dogs. One fifth of those injured are children.
United States
In the United States, approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Approximately twenty percent of dog bites become infected.
Society and culture
Legal issues
Dog owners may be liable for the bites and injuries that their dog causes to people or other dogs. In addition, states and local governments have passed laws and ordinances that allow the government to take action against dogs that are considered dangerous. In some cases, a dog owner may be criminally prosecuted for a dog attack on another person.
All states recognize that a dog owner may be potentially liable for dog bites. Depending upon the state, the rules for when a dog owner may be liable for a bite will vary. Models of liability for dog bites fall into three broad categories:
- Common law. At common law, a dog owner can be held liable for the injury caused by a dog that the owner knows, or has reason to know, may be dangerous. Many common law jurisdictions have historically recognized a "one bite" rule, meaning that absent information that suggests that a dog may be unusually dangerous to others, a dog owner cannot be held liable for the first bite injury caused by their dog.
- Strict liability. States that impose strict liability make the owner of a dog liable for injuries caused by a dog, without further consideration of the facts. Strict liability laws may require that the person seeking damages for a dog bite prove that they were acting peacefully and lawfully at the time of the bite. The law may also recognize a limited range of defenses to liability, such as the dog owner's successfully proving that the injured person was trespassing at the time of the injury or had engaged in conduct that provoked the attack.
- Mixed law. many states take a mixed approach, passing statutes that are based upon the common law but that add additional elements that must be proved for a dog bite injury to succeed in an injury claim, or provide defenses not available at common law.
States that have enacted legislation that assigns liability include Michigan, Rhode Island, Florida, California, and Texas. Connecticut's dog bite statute provides for strict liability in most situations, subject to exceptions if the person bitten by the dog was trespassing or involved in a tort, or was teasing, abusing, or tormenting the dog.
In modern times, the United States has not been receptive to the idea that a dog, itself, can be criminally liable. A California court explained that, although the tendency to anthropomorphize animals is understandable, especially with beloved pets like dogs, the law does not recognize dogs as having the mental state that can incur criminal liability. That is, although dogs and other animals may have the capacity to commit vicious and violent acts, they do not possess the legal ability to commit crimes.
See also
- Anthrozoology
- Coyote attacks on humans
- Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
- Dog bite prevention
- Fatal dog attacks in the United States
- Wolf attacks on humans
References
External links
- Aggressive dogs travel guide from Wikivoyage
- NCIPC bibliography of articles on dog bites
- CDC Dog Bite Factsheet